Method of producing moving-picture cartoons.



M. FLEISCHER.

METHOD OF PRODUCING MOVING PICTURE CARTOONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-6.1915.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEYS M. FLEISCHER.

METHOD OF PRODUCING MOVING PICTURE CARTOONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-6| I935.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIWE/V TOR A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX FLEISOHER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF PRODUOIN 'G MOVING-PICTURE CARTOONS.

ApplicationfiledDecember 6, 1915. Serial No. 65,292.

. proved Method of Producing Moving-Picture Cartoons, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Animated hand executed pictures, or as they are termed, moving picturecartoons, as now produced by the usual methods, are recognized as havintheir distinctive advantages and desira le features but they usually arenot life-like.

An object of my invention is to provide a method by which improvedcartoon films may be produced, depicting the figures or other objects ina life-like manner, characteristic of the regular animated photopictures.

In producing cartoon films by my improved method, scenes are enacted bythe aid of living actors depicting the subjects to be displayed by thecartoons, and, through the instrumentality of a moving picture .camera,pictures of the enacted scenes are taken, and from these pictures, linepictures or cartoons of the characters or objects to be portrayed aremade. The series of cartoons are then photographically reproduced on afilm or equivalent medium,

and the photographsof the cartoons thus obtained are projected on ascreen and displayed in the usual manner by any approved moving picturemachine.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific descriptionfollowing.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-.

ing drawings forming a part of this specification in which similarreference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a' perspective-view representing conventionally the takin ofmoving pictures of actual scenes by t e aid of an actor or actors,depicting the characters to be represented by the cartoon movingpictures;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a photographic film portraying the scenes thusactually produced';

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an apparatus forprojecting thephotographic nic- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

tures thus produced and permitting the tracing of the charactersthereof;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional side elevation of said apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a view representing conventionally the photographing of thetraced cartoons; and i Fig. 6 is a face view of the final photo'-graphic film portraying the traced cartoons.

In carrying out my invention, having decided upon the subjects of thecartoons to be projected by a moving picture machine, I cause a scene tobe enacted presenting the characters to be portrayed. In

Fig. 1, the numeral 10 indicates an actor in a life scene going throughthe performance of wig-wag signaling. During the performance a movingpicture camera 11 produces a series of pictures of the scene. Severalpictures thus taken are produced on a film 12, (Fig. 2), as indicated at13. The film will thus give a true portrayal of the character to bepresented by the cartoons.

The pictures on the film 12 are now projected 111 single succession byasuitable apparatus, preferably arranged as in Fig.3, in which aninclined platform 14 is provided and supported by suitable legs 15. Aframe 16 at the upper end of the platform 14 carries a screen 17 at theback of which is placed suitable tracing paper 18, on which the artisttraces the lines of each picture 13 or such elements thereof as isnecessary, for the cartoon.

. the numeral 20 and in the main of known form, is employed including asuitable projecting apparatus 21 which is placed on the platform 14. Thenumerals 22 indicate the reel boxes while 23 indicates a known form oflamp house.

It may be desirable to provide means whereby the artist may manuallycontrol the projecting machine from. his position at the back of thescreen and for this purpose, I may employ suitable means, there beingshown a pull-cord 24 having a handle 25 and passing over suitable guides26, through the platform 14 to a connection with a spring-acted lever27, carrying a pawl 28, engaging a ratchet wheel 29, controlling themechanism of the machine 21. In Fig. 5 is shown conventionally themanner of nhotographically reproducing the cartoons, the numeral30-indicating a supported Cartoon and 31 a moving picture camera.

In Fig. 6 is shown the film bearing the photographically reproducedcartoons which may be of any'approved form adapted for the usualmc vingpicture machines whereby to display the cartoons on a screen in theusual manner.

The projected, photographically produced series of pictures of theactual performanceare thus utilized to lend realism to manually producecartoons having radically new characteristics due, first, to theabsolutely accurate relative positions of the moving object in thesuccessive cartoons and relatively to the fixed photographed background,and second, the method lendsto the manually produced cartoons, therealistic effects of the photograph by the artist arbitrarily selectingand tracing lines and features represented by the projected photographs.I y

In the present methods of producing moving picture cartoons, thegreatest skill of the artist is required to obtain an approach toaccuracy and realism in the relative positioning of the moving object insuccessive cartoons and in giving life-like poses thereto. My methodovercomes both of these main difficulties.

In tracing the cartoon, the skilful artistinstead of followingaccurately the lines of thephotograph, can exaggerate or modifyparticular elements or features of a grotesque character for instance,while preserving the truthfulness of the photographic .portrayal in itsessentials or dominating lines. In photographing black-face characpclaim as new, and desire to ters for example, the actor is made up withspecial reference to facilitating the subsequent making ofthe linecartoons, a part of the make-up being, for example, distinct andprominent white rings about the eyes to bring out prominently in thephotographs, the lines to be traced. The method possesses advantages indepicting a wide range of grotesque characters or objects. Thus, forexample, a dog, masked by the representation of a horses head may be.photographed in action, the final result'being motion pen drawings ofwhat appears to be a miniature horse going through a performance.

' Havlng thus described my invention I secure by Letters Patent: a i 1.A method of making cinematographic cartoons, consisting of photographingsuccessive poses of a movable object having a stationary background,projecting the pho-. tographs' successively upon one side of each of aplurality of successively arranged translucent sheets to position thesuccessive poses of the movable object with respect to thefixedbackground, and arbitrarily drawing cartoons on the other sides ofsaid sheets in the successive positions of the several poses of themovable object so projected.

2. In a method of producing-moving p1cture cartoons, photographicallyproducing a series of pictures of a moving object in different poses,projecting the said pictures in succession on successive sheets tosuccessively locate the object on the sheets in the successive positionsrepresented in the photographs, and drawing a series of cartoonssuccessively on said sheets by arbitrarily selecting and tracingdominating lines presented by the projected pictures.

3. In a method of producing moving picture cartoons, photographicallyproducing a series of pictures of a .moving object in difierent poses,projecting the said pictures in succession on successive sheets tosuccessively locate the object on the sheets in the successive positionsrepresented in the photographs, drawing a series of cartoons sucpicturesin the first-mentioned series.

4. In a method of producing moving picture cartoons, photographicallyproducing a series of pictures of a scene involving a moving object tobe depicted in the cartoons, projecting said photographicall producedpictures in succession upon eac of a plurality of sheets to position themovable object on the sheets successively to correspond with thepositions of the object in the said series of pictures, then manuallyproducing a series of cartoons corresponding with the successivelyprojected pictures by arbitrarily selecting and drawing on the saidpaper, particular lines of the positioned object as represented andpositioned by the projected ture cartoons, photographically producing insuccession a series of pictures of a scene involving a moving object,and a relativelyfixed background, projecting said photographicallyproduced pictures in succession upon each of a plurality of sheets toposition on the respective sheets the different relative positions ofthe movable object, and the positions of the object relativel to thesaidbackground, and then manna 1y producing a series of cartoons byarbitrarily selecting and drawing on the said sheetsparticular dominantlines presented on the re-' spective sheets by the projectedphotographs.

6. A method of producing moving pictures which consists in firstproducing a series of pictures of a moving object in difierent poses,projecting the said pictures in suc- 1 v cessively on said sheets byarbitrarily selectnete eersession on successive sheets to successivelyIn testimony whereof I have signed my locate the object on the sheets inthe succ name to this specification in the presence of 10 sive positionsrepresented in the phototWo subscribing witnesses.

graphs, and drawing a series of pictures suc- MAX FLEISCHER ing andfollowing the successive dominating 'Witnesses:

positions presented by the projected pic- J. L. MoApmFn,

tures. G. H. Emsm.

